Traitor
by avlyn-naturae
Summary: Following the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, this story is twisted, darker, with numerous deaths. This story is rated M for the mature readers for a reason. Contains numerous pairing with the main pairing being AnakinObiWan, slash. R
1. Prologue

**Title: Traitors**

**Part: Prologue**

**Pairing: Anakin/Obi-wan (main) with other side pairings**

**Disclaimer: The characters and the universe belong to their respective owners. I do not own this story and do not plan to make any profit from this. **

**Summary: Following the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, this story is twisted, darker, with numerous deaths. This story is rated M for the mature readers for a reason. Contains numerous pairing with the main pairing being Anakin/Obi-Wan, slash. Read and Review.**

"_Order Sixty-Six will eliminate all existing Jedi threats – even your Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi."_

_There was a gasp and then a strangled choke._

"_No – **no** – you can't!"_

It was surprising how everything still looked the same. Truthfully, he had been expecting something momentous to happen – _just_ to mark the huge, sudden change in his life. Instead, _everything_ still looked the same.

Bright lights still shone from nearly every room in the city. Holograms still projected advertisements for the latest, must-have products. Humans and other creatures still slept in their beds, unaware of everything that was happening. Technically, everything was still the same.

_Except_ something nagged at him – buried beneath layers of forgotten memories in his sub-conscious mind. It chewed at the edge of his conscience, planting seeds of doubts here and there until there was just no such thing as certainty anymore. The most frustrating thing was that the knowledge was simply out of his _reach_.

He inhaled sharply as a carrier ship flew past, full of clone troopers. Then he remembered _everything_. He watched the white-shelled armed troopers looking out into the city below, checking for signs…signs of _what_? He knew, of course, as much as he had lied to himself that it had been a dream or a nightmare – something born out of being too bored with doing nothing. He had almost half-convinced himself that the war had never really happened, and in a way it never had.

What he had used to fight for, and what many Jedi had sacrificed their lives for, had never really existed. They had been lost, before the so-called war had even begun. Everything had been carefully choreographed to perfection. Looking back, he could not believe how blind he used to be. Everything _had_ been planned. The Sith had won, while the Jedi had been too busy trying to fight a war that **never** really mattered at all.

Instead, what he had _feared,_ and what many Jedi had feared had turned to reality and became much, _much_ worse.

"The Jedi will be terribly weakened, until there is no hope for them to ever oppose us," Darth Sidious spoke out, watching his new apprentice carefully and rather cautiously. "The Empire will rise to power and you, Vader, shall be the one to lead the Army against any planet that tries to oppose us."

Anakin Skywalker tore his eyes away from the carrier ship that had soon disappeared from sight, vaguely in the direction of the Jedi Temple. He had expected the troopers to shoot him down on sight, but it was obvious that his new position had been relayed to them. He wished they would. He turned towards Chancellor Palpatine – soon to be Emperor – and nearly flinched at the use of his new name. The name had been given to him as soon as he had agreed to become his apprentice and…and it sounded like a name for an evil Sith Lord.

He had to remind himself that he _was_, in fact, a Sith Lord.

"As such, it will be revealed to the rest of the universe that you have been the only one to prevent the assassination attempt, and that you shall be the one to head the Army, to crush the Separatists and any rebels," Darth Sidious continued.

"Is that really necessary?" Anakin asked. Just _thinking_ about revealing his new alliance to the Sith Lord did not feel right. He did not want to think about any existing Jedi who would now bear a grudge against him – _if_ there were _any_ existing Jedi at all. He did not want to think about that.

Palpatine fixed him with a cold gaze that dared him to challenge his authority once more. Anakin did not open his mouth to even attempt it, knowing that it was fruitless. It was like being controlled by one thing and then another. First, it was the Jedi Council, and now it was Palpatine. He tried to prevent himself from thinking about it by letting his mind dwell on Padmé's safety. He hoped she was all right, and he hoped that she would come to forgive him someday.

"Of course it is necessary," replied Palpatine in cold, measured tones. "You are a celebrated war hero – a symbol of hope in the eyes of others. Your exploits have been well documented and are known far and wide. Seeing your alliance with me will cause people to believe that forming an Empire is the right and _only_ choice."

He felt used like a tool again – a "poster boy", as Obi-Wan used to call it. People would look at him and believe him. If he said that they had to throw themselves down the throat of a rancor to save the universe, they would. It was silly how ignorant they could be. It was _dangerous_ that they were so oblivious.

His mind reverted to Obi-Wan, who was probably still fighting the war on Utapau, unaware of anything that had transpired back on Coruscant – unaware that the Jedi Order was as good as gone. He hoped that Palpatine had enough honesty to keep his end of the bargain and spare Obi-Wan from Order Sixty-Six. Honestly, he had no idea what Obi-Wan was doing, or even if he was alive at all, having severed his connection to his Master and all other Jedi in an attempt to silence the voices in his head as they fell to the clone troopers, one by one.

It was strange not feeling their presence – especially Obi-Wan's presence in the Force, that had always been a comforting light in an eternal blanket of darkness. The crystal clear perception he always had in the Force had been dulled so much so that he could barely detect the presence of Palpatine in the same room. Yet, he should not be surprised. Palpatine had avoided detection even when the whole Jedi Council had met him at one time or another…although Obi-Wan had once confessed to Anakin that he had felt uneasy in the Chancellor's presence. Anakin had brushed it off as Obi-Wan's jealousy of Anakin's close friendship with Palpatine, and they had even argued about it.

Somehow, Obi-Wan always turned out _right_.

"What about Padmé and Obi-Wan?" he asked, knowing that it was at least his right to inquire about their safety. "Are they safe?"

"Padmé Amidala will be charged with treason for conspiring against me. Her name was found clearly on the Petition of the Two Thousand…"

His mouth felt instantly dry. He felt like crumpling to his knees, or lashing out at Palpatine, even though he _knew_ he could not _possibly_ win.

"Yet, I will arrange for her to be secretly transported off the planet and into a safe place," continued Palpatine. "There will be attempts to find her, although none will succeed."

Anakin could feel his breath easing again, although he could not shake off the feeling that something was rather wrong with it.

"As for General Kenobi, he has been spared from Order Sixty-Six. He will be brought here from Utapau immediately, to be kept."

Anakin knew from the way Palpatine spoke that Obi-Wan was going to be kept like a prisoner – locked up with no hope of escaping, or perhaps no means of even accessing his connection to the Force.

"No!" he exclaimed, without thinking.

Palpatine watched him carefully and curiously.

"No," he repeated, much calmer now. "Obi-Wan…Obi-Wan can join us. He can become a Sith. He's powerful enough."

"Do I detect a hint of concern for his safety?" asked Palpatine, intrigued. "Why have you not inquired about your own _wife's_ safety? Have you become too _attached_ to your old Master? Maybe, it is your old _Master_ you are more concerned about."

Anakin struggled to think up an excuse, without looking as if he was struggling too hard.

"I…I was merely being mindful of what would be beneficial to the Sith and the Empire," he said finally.

Palpatine did not look as if he even considered what Anakin had just said. Anakin wondered if perhaps, his own shields were not enough to block out the Sith Lord.

"Yes, Dooku had harbored similar thoughts as you," said Darth Sidious in a contemplative way. "And General Kenobi does possess a permanent streak of anger in his character. However, his mind has been utterly brainwashed by the Jedi Council and its useless teachings. He would be difficult if not _impossible_ to turn."

"No, I'll be able to turn him. Just give him a chance," Anakin pleaded.

"And what could you possibly give to me in return for this chance?" Palpatine asked with a humor that did not reach his eyes.

Anakin hesitated for a moment.

"Anything," he answered finally. "Anything you want."

Darth Sidious looked at him with a twisted smile on his face.

"Even in exchange for your wife's life?"

Anakin did not answer. He could not possibly answer. He just stood there, struggling for any answer at all, his mind a blank from the choice he had been given.

Palpatine laughed and turned away from him. The laughter was cold to his ears.

"It seems as if you are _not_ as devoted to your wife," Palpatine said, more to himself than Anakin. "I expected you to simply say 'no', however, your concern for General Kenobi is, if anything, truly _remarkable_."

Anakin did not say anything, knowing that it was simply a test that he had failed to notice it the first time. He just stood there, silent.

"The idea of a Sith pair has its potential," continued Darth Sidious calmly, "e_specially_ the Kenobi-Skywalker pair. Both of you work efficiently enough and it might gather more support from the public. Or perhaps, I should bring him here simply for _your_ pleasure and enjoyment."

Anakin bit his lower lip to prevent a protest from leaving his lips. Obi-Wan would agree to it – he had to for his own sake.

"General Kenobi will be transported here safely, and then he'll be given the chance to decide whether or not he will become a Sith. Now, you shall go to your new quarters and prepare for tomorrow."

"What will happen tomorrow?" Anakin asked, not really knowing if he wanted to know.

"Tomorrow, the Galactic Senate will fall and with it the Jedi Temple."

Anakin knew there was no turning back – there never had been a possibility. He retreated to his new quarters in need of sleep if only to stop thinking about tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 1

Traitors

chapter one

**Title: **Traitors Chapter One

**Fandom: **Star Wars

**Pairing: **Anakin/Obi-Wan (main) with hints of Anakin/Padme

**Rating: **R/NC-16

**Summary: **All Jedi are considered traitors to the Republic, save two - Skywalker and Kenobi. Following Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader, a disastrous set of events take place from the ruination of the Republic to the destruction of the Jedi Order.

**A/N: **Just thought about posting this since I'll be spending the next few days studying. Thanks to all those who reviewed!

"_With the fall of the Jedi Temple, every one of the Jedi teachings will be wiped out of existence. There will be no hope to resurrect the Jedi Order."_

Despite Coruscant and thousands of other planets being hundreds of systems apart, orders could be given and carried out almost instantly. Such was Order Sixty-Six. Unknowing to many Jedi, such an order would be the end of their lives.

In Utapau, the battle raged on against the Separatists trying to flee the planet. Even though the attack had came as a surprise, it was still a difficult battle as the Clone Army, to begin with, had been greatly reduced by the war and the robots under the Separatists had grew in numbers as well as complexity. Even with General Grevious' death, the war still continued. There were still dozens of leaders around capable of continuing the war. Ending it as soon as possible was the thought in nearly everyone's minds.

"Er…you won't mention any of this to Anakin, would you?" asked Obi-Wan Kenobi who was gripping his lightsaber while looking rather sheepish and embarrassed.

"Is that an order, General?" Cody grinned.

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, smiling tiredly.

"Ah, yes. Make it an order. We still have a battle to win, Cody."

"Yes, General."

He turned away when he felt a buzzing from a compartment in his suit. Obi-Wan was already walking towards Boga. He activated the comlink and a holoscan of a hooded figure appeared, flickering slightly.

"_Carry out Order Sixty-Six_."

Cody's mind went back to its' primary instinct – obey every order given by the commander in chief. He was already turning to the troopers around him to give his command to execute Order Sixty-Six. In his mind, the death of General Kenobi was a mission and had no bearing on any regret or emotion. It was, after all, what he was made for.

"_Only General Kenobi shall be exempted from the Order_," continued the holoscan.

He paused for a moment, listening for further instructions.

"_Bring him to Coruscant immediately. Use any means necessary so long as he is not badly harmed._"

The new instructions ran through Cody's brain, overriding his previous order in a way a computer would. He walked forward to face Obi-Wan with a neutral expression on his face.

"There is an urgent transmission for you from the Jedi Council," Cody lied easily.

Obi-Wan frowned and alighted from Boga.

"That's strange. Why would they be contacting me now?" he wondered.

"It is a transmission from Master Windu concerning the Sith Lord," Cody continued. "Apparently they have discovered who he is and requests your advice immediately."

"Well, that's a surprise. I guess Anakin must have discovered him. Continue the invasion into the Pau City."

Then Obi-Wan saw it out of the corner of his eye. Cody tilted his head, perhaps, a fraction of an inch in an unmistakable sign of a nod that was not directed at him. Just before he had time to even wonder about the strange behavior of his commander, he felt _it_.

A slight flicker in the Force – the _barest_ sign of danger that could have easily been passed on for something else.

Obi-Wan did not have enough time to turn or even ignite his lightsaber. All he felt was a slight prick at the back of his neck then a wave of something icy cold running beneath his skin. He staggered, almost drunkenly, trying to get an even footing on a ground that seemed to be rocking in his vision.

"_What?_ Cody?"

His muscles began to numb, seizing up almost seconds after the impact. In less than a minute, his arms were numb as his heart pumped the drug through his system. In a minute, he was collapsing to the ground, unable to carry his own weight. His vision spun before him and he could feel the darkness creeping at the edge of his mind.

"Cody, _what_ did you…"

His head hit the ground hard as every feeling, even his connection to the ever present Force, ebbed away. As his mind faded into black, he could distantly hear Cody speak.

"Take Kenobi to Coruscant immediately. Ensure he is guarded at all times. The Sith Lord will want to speak with him."

Palpatine looked up from his podium at the thousands of so-called _representatives_ from the different planets in the Republic. They hung on to his every word, believing everything he told them.

Fools.

"The Jedi have become _traitors_ to the Republic! They have attempted to _rob_ me of my rightful position in the Senate! They may have _deformed_ me but they will _never_ be able to take me away from my mission! These _traitors_ shall be hunted out, chased from our midst and will rightfully be punished! They and all those who harbor them shall be dealt with for they oppose the very _existence_ of this Senate – for they oppose the right of _democracy_!"

There were roars of approval, cheers from those who were too blind to really know what was happening. Those who remained silent and solemn were those who had seen what had been happening. They had seen how the entire Senate would come crashing down upon them and they were too _late_ to stop it.

"We shall prevail against the Separatists who try to destroy us! They will be _destroyed_! _Justice _will be handed out! The Republic will stand united – away from such revolutions and away from the Jedi Rebellion! We have shown ourselves to be _stronger_ than all those who try to conquer us! We shall face the universe with a new _beginning_!"

The roars never stopped.

"We shall be united! We shall never have planets turning against other planets! We shall retain _peace_! We shall have _harmony_! We shall be _one_!"

Hundreds of representatives were clapping for him.

"We will stand together against _anything_ and _everything_ that opposes us! We will grow stronger and stronger and to do so we must _change_! We must become a single _fist_ capable of _crushing_ any obstacle on our path! We must become an Empire – we are an Empire! We are the first and _only_ Galactic Empire!"

He saw from the corner of his eye the pale look on Padmé Amidala's face and the look of complete shock and bewilderment on Bail Organa's face. He smirked inwardly.

"_We_ are an Empire that shall be ruled by this impressive and capable body! We shall never retain the old system or ever face corruption that has prevented us from fully controlling the universe! We shall be controlled by a _single_ sovereign chosen _forever_!"

"We are ruled by the choice of the _people_! We are an Empire of a new Constitution! We shall be an Empire controlled by _laws_, not by politicians! We shall _prevail_ for a just and safe society that only we can deliver! We will ensure that this Empire shall last for all of _eternity_!"

"Today is the day that marks the _beginning_ of the Empire! We shall do this to give our children what they rightfully deserve! They will know _safety_! They will know _justice_! They will know _peace_! They will live in a society free from _corruption_!"

The chant began to call out for votes for him. It was nearly unanimous and those that did **not** vote for him…

Well, he will deal with them as he would traitors.

He watched as his plan worked.

He watched as the Galactic Senate came crashing down around him with cheers and roars of approval.

Padmé Amidala burst out of the Senate pod looking as if she was sick. Technically, she was sick and deadly so. On her face was a look of disbelief for everything that had happened and everything that would happen. She had watched, almost numbly, as Palpatine gave evidence upon evidence about the attempts made by the Jedi to take over the Senate. She had watched as Palpatine names only _two_ Jedi free from treason – Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She had watched as the Galactic Senate ended its' thousands years of service without a single fight. Instead, the majority of the senate had _egged_ on the entire process.

'_What's happening?_ How could we be so _blind_? How could _I _be so blind? Oh, Anakin…Anakin, what happened? What went _wrong_?'

When she heard Anakin's name being mentioned, she had been torn apart. To know that Anakin would not be hunted down like a fugitive had been a relief yet in another way, it would sound as if Anakin had allied himself with Palpatine. She could not bear thinking about it if Anakin had _aided_ Palpatine in the destruction of the Republic.

She could not believe that Anakin would do such a thing – _would_ not believe he could do such a thing.

Doing so would be like admitting that Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Sith Lord.

However, she had no idea what to think – what to _believe_ in. All she believed in fell apart right before her eyes. Even now, she was questioning Anakin's loyalty in a way she never did before.

'Anakin, what have you _done_? How could they _tear_ us apart like that? Anakin…Anakin, I'm so _sorry_...'

"Senator Amidala," someone called out.

Padmé was startled from her pondering by a clone trooper who was accompanied by an entire squad. She immediately tensed at the sight of them, wondering if, perhaps, Palpatine had ordered them to capture her immediately.

"Yes?"

"You are to come with us immediately, Senator," said the clone trooper, fingering his blaster in a way that made Padmé uncomfortable.

"Where will you be taking me?" Padmé asked, already wishing that Anakin was there.

'Anakin, where are you? I need you. Anakin!'

"To somewhere safe, Senator," answered the clone trooper. "Commander Skywalker requested that you be transported away for your own safety. Chancellor Palpatine agreed that you may be in danger from the Jedi traitors."

'He will not be chancellor for much longer,' thought Padmé as she heard a resounding roar of approval from the Senate.

"I wish to see Commander Skywalker immediately," she demanded.

"That is not possible, Senator. Commander Skywalker is preoccupied with other matters that require his urgent attention."

"That is fine. I will meet him and I believe he will agree to it."

"I do not think so, Senator," the clone trooper said. "We are under orders to transport you elsewhere immediately after the Senate meeting."

"I will not go anywhere until I meet Commander Skywalker!" she demanded angrily.

'If only to see you again, love. I know that you will tell me that everything is actually all right. I know you will tell me that I've been reading things too deep and that the Republic isn't falling apart around us.'

"I am sorry, Senator, that is not possible."

"Then I will search for him myself."

She spun around, determined to seek Anakin out simply to get proper answers. However, before she could go so far as a step, something _hard_ hit her on the back of her neck and she stumbled to the ground, falling heavily.

"_Anakin_ –" she choked on the word as she fell.

She did not have time to cry out or even ask for help. The ground collided with her head. There was a blinding flash of pain, a moment of panic when she feared the baby she was carrying might be hurt then simply unconsciousness.

"Get her off the planet immediately and to the stronghold. She is not to be hurt – no danger must come to the child. I will not see the child hurt."

"_What then, my lord?_"

"When the child is born, bring it to me. Then, _kill_ her."

"_Understood, my lord_."

Darth Sidious switched off the comlink, smiling to himself in a satisfied sort of way. Everything that he had worked for years was starting to pay off. The child of Skywalker would undoubtedly be one strong in the Force and therefore an asset to the dark side. One child raised by Sith teachings and taught to hate everything from the light side would be more useful than Anakin Skywalker himself – the _Chosen One_.

Until the child would be born and old enough to replace Anakin Skywalker, the _Chosen One_ would do. He watched from the holocams he had placed, of Skywalker, the new Lord Vader; leading an entire battalion of clone troopers into the Jedi Temple. Thousands of clone troopers against the heart of the Jedi empty of their finest warriors with nothing left except blinded, old school _teachers_ and incompetent, irritating little Jedi _younglings_ and _Padawans_.

The Jedi Temple was nothing more than an unguarded building – the homes of hundreds of Jedi. But, it was something of the Jedi and everything of the Jedi had to be wiped out.

Everything must be wiped out - even the _smallest_ of the Jedi.

Anakin Skywalker watched without really seeing as thousands of clone troopers marched at his heels towards the Jedi Temple. Palpatine's order had been given without any contest knowing that challenging Palpatine was a futile if not _worse_ than useless attempt. Anakin had hesitated for a moment when he heard that he would lead the invasion of the Jedi Temple. It would be like a test of his true loyalty – a challenge to whether or not he would defy Palpatine and lose everything he had made the choice for.

Naturally, he had obeyed although guilt ate away his conscience.

He pushed away his guilt, concentrating on the anger like Palpatine had told to. The anger would wash away the feelings of guilt, sadness and remorse, making him nothing except a walking, breathing weapon capable of delivering one destruction after another.

He allowed the buried feelings of resentment towards the Jedi surface and masks his face. He allowed his feelings of anger of being pushed around by the Jedi Council, of his opinions never being heard, of never feeling belonged to the Jedi since he was nine, of being told he was never good enough when he made a slight slip…until there was only anger and Lord Vader.

Part of Anakin Skywalker surfaced. He could see Padmé in his mind, pale and dying at child birth – calling out his name. In him, a fire burned with determination to stop that from ever happening. Padmé would be safe and their child would be safe. She would live – he will make sure of it.

Then the face of Obi-Wan came into view and he hesitated for a while but Vader called out to him. It was only as Lord Vader would Obi-Wan be safe from any form of harm. When Anakin Skywalker becomes Lord Vader, no one would dare harm Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan would understand it eventually because Obi-Wan always understood him even though he never agreed to everything he did. At least Obi-Wan believed in him, trusted him more than all the Jedi put together. His mind wandered to the thought that Obi-Wan would most probably already be on his way to Coruscant and he knew Sidious will not harm him yet because harming Obi-Wan would be like harming Anakin Skywalker himself.

He could almost hear Palpatine speak in his mind, wearing a sneer on his face.

"_Maybe it is your old _Master_ you are more concerned of_."

Vader pushed Palpatine's voice from his mind. Vader would do it to show his loyalty to the Sith. Anakin would do it for Padmé and Obi-Wan.

Padmé and Obi-Wan.

_Padmé and Obi-Wan._

It was for Padmé and Obi-Wan.

The invasion of the Jedi Temple had happened quickly and cleanly. The first to fall had been Gate Master Jurokk – he had died by Vader's own hand. Then everything became a blur of screams and cries of fear from so-called _Jedi_ – even the word sounded like a curse in his mind. A few blaster bolts were deflected and a few of the clone troopers fell. _Most_ of the shots found their targets and _many_ of the younglings and Padawans fell.

Vader had walked over the corpses littering the walkway with a cool and cold demeanor unlikely of the old Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker was still there but buried away so as not to be affected by their deaths.

Along the way, the more _trained_ Jedi had fallen – Cin Drallig had been easily disposed of and Shaak Ti had been killed during meditation. The lack of Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters had made it easier than piloting a speeder for a hundred meter stretch. Vader had watched with almost amusement to see younglings and Padawans fall one by one even as the older ones – no more than ten standard years of age – fought to keep the advancing troops back and failed.

The one that almost torn him apart was when he saw a youngling whom Anakin had befriended years ago fighting desperately against the troopers in a brave attempt to allow other children to make an escape. The youngling had placed Anakin as his idol – as many others had – and had truly _believed_ in him.

"Master Skywalker?" the youngling had gasped in surprise, confusion in his eyes at the thought of seeing Anakin leading a battalion _against_ the Jedi.

Anakin had screamed at Vader to stop - to simply have mercy on the child.

Vader _did _have mercy.

He plunged his lightsaber into the child's heart, ensuring a quick and hopefully painless _death_.

The Jedi Temple had been wiped clean by the clone troopers. Corpses and dismembered body parts littered the temple's floor. There was an unmistakable stench of burnt flesh in the air. Anakin Skywalker stood in the middle of the hall, his anger having worn away his strength so much so that he could no longer shield himself from his full connection to the Force.

He screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to get rid of the feeling of death that surrounded him. There were echoes of the pain of sudden death. There were the feelings of betrayals…of _loss_. There were still traces of dead voices screaming in his ear. Yet there were no Jedi around – _alive_ – to be doing so. The Temple was dead. The building would not survive any longer.

There was an unmistakable feeling of loss – of something being ripped apart unexpectedly. The death of a Jedi was a sad passing but the death of hundreds within such a close space of time was _worse_ than a tragedy. It was like getting the breath knocked out of him then realizing that there was no air left. He struggled to think among the voices of the dead Jedi that were screaming at him.

There were no more Jedi. The Temple was silent save for the clone trooper right in front of him.

"Sir?" the clone trooper asked slowly as Anakin finally managed to ignore the feeling of loss. "Almost all of the Jedi Temple is secured."

"Good, secure the archives. My Master wants every copy of information kept in there – even those that are restricted. The copies have to be whole…" _for Padmé's sake. _"Then destroy it completely."

"Yes, sir and sir…"

"Yes?" asked Anakin who already had his mind on going somewhere and was annoyed to be held back.

"Some of the younglings have not been killed yet and we don't know where they are."

Anakin looked thoughtful for a moment before whirling around, changing his direction.

"I know where they are and I'm going to deal with them _alone_."

The Jedi Council Room was the heart of the Jedi Temple. It was the place where the most important of all Jedi – skilled in their own way – gathered to make important decisions, overlook the workings of the Senate and to ponder over the mysterious powers of the Force.

Anakin's appointment to the Jedi Council had been more of a joke than an actual serious matter. To anyone outside the Jedi Council, it would seem as if all of Anakin's hard work had paid off and the Council had recognized Anakin's true worth. The truth was, everything had been, more or less, a ploy to spy on Palpatine. There had been no consideration of Anakin's feelings on the matter. They had blatantly used him like a tool.

Well…everyone except Obi-Wan and he was the only one Anakin was sure was alive. Nearly all on the Jedi Council had died.

Anakin stepped out of the lift and the Council doors slid open soundlessly when he keyed in the code to deactivate the doors. Only those who sat on the Council knew the code. Vader sat on the Council.

The room was dark and gave a splendid view of the sprawling city below. He could see the Senate in the distance and even the senatorial apartment where Padmé used to live.

Padmé.

Padmé _and_ Obi-Wan.

A boy ran up, strangely calm. Vader would have sneered at his ignorance of the total weight of the situation. Anakin, however, was calm and rather sad.

"Master Skywalker, what's happening?" he asked.

Anakin said nothing and simply ignited his lightsaber. The blue energy blade hummed in the Council Room and revealed every face hidden behind the chairs. It would be like murder – _murders_ of countless of defenseless children.

He had done it before – numerous times. It started with Count Dooku on that blasted ship, _Invisible Hand_ and that seemed like _decades_ ago.

_Padmé and Obi-Wan…_

_Padmé and Obi-Wan…_

_Padmé and Obi-Wan…_

"Vader," his comlink said.

Anakin paused to answer it.

"Yes, Master?"

The younglings looked too shocked or stunned to do anything except stand and listen.

"What is your current situation?" Sidious inquired.

Anakin paused to look at the fearful children.

"All of the Jedi Temple is almost secured," he answered. "The archives are being copied right now. I am in the Council Room with other younglings."

There was a pause whereby he waited for his Master to say something.

"Do not kill the younglings," his Master finally said. "Take them as prisoners. Do not let anyone of them escape. They would be useful as a means of persuasion when it comes to Kenobi."

Anakin immediately felt a chill creeping up his spine.

_Obi-Wan…_

"Yes, Master, it shall be done."

Anakin turned to look at the younglings, not sure if taking them as prisoners was such a good thing at all. He knew, however, that whatever fate Sidious decided for them, could not possibly be good.

And Obi-Wan…Obi-Wan would be appalled. But…but it was for the _best_.

_Padmé and Obi-Wan…_

Anakin nearly collapsed into the room from sheer exhaustion of blocking out the screams from the dead Jedi. It was driving him crazy. He had stumbled as he ran from the Jedi Council blinded by his imagination that blood had covered his hands and robes even though he knew that a lightsaber cuts were technically clean and hardly bled.

He had ran and ran until he found the quarters he used to share with Obi-Wan before he started spending more time with Padmé. He ran inside and hid in Obi-Wan's room, simply glad when the voices of the Jedi seemed to fade away. There was a calming presence in the room and he breathed a serene sigh of relief.

Everything was the way it was since Obi-Wan left. Anakin had dropped in for a while to grab his datapad he had left behind. The bed had been untouched and thus was ever so neat. Anakin never had the impulse to clean things up despite the hundreds of lectures Obi-Wan had given him about how keeping his room clean was a form of Jedi discipline.

He wished that Obi-Wan was here again _even_ if it was to lecture about keeping his room clean and his boots washed. He laughed bitterly at the mere thought and then sobbed.

That was _if_ Obi-Wan would _ever_ speak to him again after all he had done. Obi-Wan might never speak to him again. He might be disgusted by Anakin. Anakin was disgusted by _himself_.

He crawled onto the bed, vaguely hearing Obi-Wan scold him for messing up the sheets again. He smiled ruefully as he closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow. It still echoed of Obi-Wan signature and it was…calming. He knew that in here he was safe.

Except Obi-Wan was not – not yet anyway. Obi-Wan would not be safe until he returns to him and then only _if_ he accepts the decision Anakin had to make.

Anakin prayed that Obi-Wan would.

If…_if_ Anakin somehow failed in the attempt to save Padmé, Obi-Wan would be all that he had left. Losing Obi-Wan might as well as be losing his soul. They were a team – they were _one_. They had to be. They made the promise years ago.

Anakin simply hoped that Obi-Wan would not think too badly of him.


	3. Chapter 2

Traitors

chapter two

"_From this day forward, all Jedi are to be known as traitors! All of them have conspired against the Republic save two – Skywalker and Kenobi who have proven themselves loyal despite the Jedi's treacherous teachings! They will lead the Army against the Jedi Rebellion and any who oppose us! No one – not even the Separatists – will be able to withstand the full might of the **Empire**!"_

"What do we do now?"

It seemed to be the top question in everyone's minds lately ever since the announcement that the Republic would be transformed into an Empire with much cheers and applause to Bail Organa's horror. Palpatine would be leading the Empire although it was not official yet. It might as well have been. Judging from the wild cheers and roars of approval from thousands of representatives, there was hardly any need for an election. Palpatine would win – there was simply _no_ contest.

It was like waking up and realizing that it was simply too _late _to do anything. There had been calls for a motion to be entered but it was as good as useless. There was no stopping Palpatine. They were already losing. Members who had written their names on the Delegation of the Two Thousand were getting arrested even as they sat there in shocked silence. Fang Zar had been dragged off. Tundra Dowmeia had been arrested. Soon, others would follow.

"Has anybody seen Padmé?" Bail asked after a moment of silence whereby no one had tasted their drinks.

Padmé would know what to do. She was a clever person who could look through any problem and figure out the best solution. They needed Padmé now. He had not seen her since she disappeared soon after the announcement, giving him advice.

Mon Mothma who was looking pale and rather sick shook her head.

"Padmé did not return to her apartment, according to her servants. She has not been seen since the Senate meeting."

Bail sighed, rubbing his temples. He had no idea if Padmé was all right or if she had been arrested for her involvement in such activities as Palpatine would rightly term as "_conspiracies against the State_". If she had been arrested, none of them would be safe.

"Padmé advised me and all of us to simply vote for Palpatine to avoid getting arrested," he finally voiced out.

Immediately there were roars of disagreement and calls for them to fight back against the transformation. Bail waited until the voices had quieted down enough for his voice to be heard.

"After much thought and consideration, I am forced to agree," he said uncomfortably. "Palpatine will arrest all those who oppose his rule and all those who did not vote for him. Anybody who has had their names on the Delegation of the Two Thousand would be considered enemies of state. I seriously doubt that Palpatine will show any form of mercy. He has firmly shown that he would hunt down every so-called traitor against the Republic and against the _Empire_."

"But what would that achieve?" protested Giddean Danu. "By allowing Palpatine to step up and remove all powers from the Senate would be like admitting _defeat_!"

"We are already defeated here," answered Bail as patiently as he could. "We cannot openly oppose him and hope to win or remain alive. Palpatine has the support of the majority of the Senate and he has the Army to back his power. Padmé advised us to remain low and to work against the Empire from underground."

"That could take more than _twenty_ years," considered Bana Breemu.

"Yes, it could but there is hardly any choice in the matter. Palpatine is too strong – he has obviously been planning for this for years. We are too unprepared. We can't face him now. Perhaps, when we gather enough support we might have a fighting chance against him."

"What of the Jedi?" Mon Mothma asked. "Can they be of any help?"

"I cannot judge where the Jedi stand anymore but I do not believe that all of them are traitors. Palpatine bears a grudge against them. Even as we speak, there might be Jedi dying," said Bail, sighing. "However, there is still a chance a few of them might have escaped and it would be useful to get them."

"Why don't we contact Skywalker and Kenobi?" suggested Bana Breemu. "Palpatine singled them out – they might still be alive and willing to help us."

"But they might be involved with Palpatine taking over the Senate," Giddean Danu pointed out. "_That_ might be the real reason why Palpatine spared them."

"I do not believe for a second that is the case," Chi Eekway spoke immediately. "Skywalker might be hot-headed and stubborn but I do not believe he would willingly help the fall of the Republic. Kenobi would be the last person I would suspect to align himself with Palpatine."

"I believe that's true," agreed Mon Mothma. "I do not believe that pair would aid the fall of the Republic. Skywalker believes in democracy and Kenobi more so."

"But still doesn't Skywalker's close friendship with Palpatine warrants more suspicion?" asked Giddean Danu who seemed reluctant to get off the case. "If anything, Palpatine might be _manipulating_ Skywalker."

"Skywalker friendship with Palpatine has been quite controversial," agreed Bail. "But I doubt if we would ever know Palpatine's true intent of earning Skywalker's trust. I do not believe Skywalker would willingly aid Palpatine in the fall of the Republic but yes, we have to treat him with caution."

"Then of Kenobi?"

"My trust in him has never been questionable," answered Bail and no one protested.

Then and there a messenger burst into the room giving others quite a scare for they feared that somehow the knowledge of the meeting might have been leaked to Palpatine.

"I'm sorry for interrupting but I thought this was important," the messenger hastily explained himself.

"What's the message?" Bail asked pointedly.

"It has been all over the HoloNet and all the news," the messenger answered quickly. "The Jedi Temple has been invaded and all of the occupants eradicated."

There was an uproar of chaos in the room. Senators turned to each other speaking in disbelief and confusion. There were yells of anger and of refusals to believe. Bail, despite the sheer weight of the news, somehow managed to make his way to the balcony. It had to be true. Smoke was rising from the Jedi Temple, curling like a long, black python in the air. Never in the history of the Jedi had the walls of the temple been breached. It was a day for strange, sudden happenings.

"How -"

"What should we do now?"

"Did anyone –"

"Who had done it?"

"This is the end!"

Bail whirled around, angry at whomever who had shouted that.

"Quiet!" he shouted and the room fell silent. "This is _not_ the end! We can still fight this! Just…just because the Jedi have _fallen_…" His voice cracked slightly as his mind tried to process the thought that seemed unbelievable. "…does not mean we can't win. We simply have to be more careful. We have to plan how to overthrow Palpatine."

"Does anybody know who could possibly have done this?" called on Mon Mothma, her face showed no information although her voice betrayed what she really felt.

Senators looked at each other as if the other knew who could possibly have done this. The messenger hesitated before speaking up.

"There were rumors – not confirmed yet – that the person who led the troopers into the temple was…" he trailed off.

"Who was it?" Mon Mothma pressed on.

The messenger took a deep breath then spoke.

"They said…they said it was _Anakin Skywalker_," he finished.

No one spoke for a minute. Chi Eekway slumped on the couch, unable to believe what she was really hearing. All of them looked pale at the information. Bail could not trust himself to speak. His voice was lost somewhere between all the confusion. It just went from a situation of little hope to a _hopeless_ situation.

"How could this be possible?" asked Bana Breemu, more to herself.

"Anything's possible," replied Giddean Danu dully but even though he had been right, there was no victory in his guess. "Skywalker has aligned himself with Palpatine."

"He could have been manipulated."

They all heard the statement and tried to force themselves to believe because the other prospect that he willingly joined Palpatine to bring down the Republic _and_ the Jedi Order just was not that hopeful at all. However, the prospect was dim. Manipulated or not, having Skywalker on the other side would be like facing an adversary with an infinite number of troops all equipped with the latest technology so technically it was _not_ impossible, it was merely very, _very_ difficult.

Despite everything, they had firmly believed that Anakin Skywalker was the _Chosen One _as the HoloNet had portrayed him or at least, the Hero With No Fear. They had read about his amazing abilities – his sheer ability to somehow boldly and rashly achieve a mission due to his incomparable powers. There had been some truth to the claim that Anakin could have been the Chosen One. It was a belief they held to, as unconsciously as they did, that Anakin Skywalker _would_ win the war and that he among all of the Jedi would be the _last _one to fall.

It was eerily ironic how everything turned out.

Bail Organa had to clench his fists to prevent them from shaking. He had met Skywalker a few times and even though the Jedi Knight had shown himself to be arrogant and rather rebellious, not once had he thought that Skywalker would _ever_ willingly destroy something he was tasked to protect. It just did not sum up. It did not feel _right_ or seem _right_. It was just not _possible_.

But a few days ago, if someone had claimed that Palpatine would turn the Republic into an Empire he himself would control, he would not think it was possible. And exactly that had happened.

It was a day of revelations and none of them looked prospective.

"Bail, what should we do?" asked Mon Mothma finally.

She looked exhausted, stunned. There had been so much to process in such a short amount of time.

"We will follow what Padmé said," he answered finally. "All of us with vote for Palpatine and then we will lay low so as to avoid any arrest. We will have to work against him in secret."

"And the Jedi?" asked Bana Breemu tentatively.

"If Skywalker…_truly_ is working with Palpatine," Bail said slowly. "Any Jedi would be in danger. I will send a ship looking for any Jedi that might have survived the order for them to be killed. There is still hope that a few of them are alive."

"I never thought I would ever live to see the day where the Republic would fall with little hope to revive it," Mon Mothma said.

"No, Mon, neither did I," said Bail softly.

Obi-Wan Kenobi had an unexplainable feeling of having knocked his head against a durasteel wall when he finally woke up. He blinked the discomfort away at the startling sight of lights, feeling a headache was to come next. Twisting his head left and right to relief the tension in his neck, he had come to a most important conclusion.

He was _not_ on Utapau or anywhere near the planet. In fact he seemed to be on another planet in a rather luxuriously furnished room that was not his. He did not recognize the ornate decorations on the ceilings to belong to anywhere in the Jedi Temple. The colors of the room were too rich – red, dark brown and black – and were considered rather unsuitable for the Jedi Temple. There was a heavy, ostentatious atmosphere to the room that was somehow making him rather dizzy.

He sat up, swinging his legs that still felt as if they were sleeping over the edge of the bed, causing the smooth, red satin sheets to shift about. He could feel himself getting dizzy from the simple movement as if he had just woken up after a crash when Anakin was driving. _Except_ that Anakin was not driving and there had not been a crash.

He vaguely remembered being told there was a transmission from the Jedi Council – something particularly urgent although he could not really remember what it was. There was something about _Mace_ then _Anakin_ then something _else_… He was extremely disturbed by the unexpected loss of memory. Sure, he was old except not _that_ old until he forgot important stuff he had just been told.

Well, if he happened to wake up on the same day, that is.

Looking out of the window, frowning, he squinted his eyes again just to be sure what he was looking at. It was the Senate building and of course, there was only one planet with such a Senate building.

He was on Coruscant. Somehow, while he had been lingering in unconsciousness, he had been brought to Coruscant for some purpose that still eluded him. He hoped that there was a good explanation for this and that he had not somehow managed to land himself into quicksand because he did not think that he would ever live it down when Anakin came to rescue him.

There was a sharp stab of pain in his chest at the thought of his former Padawan. He had missed Anakin. Between all of the crazy missions, the Jedi Council and the war, he hardly had time to see Anakin at all. The moments he had with Anakin seemed to have happened galaxies ago.

He had to remind himself that Anakin was not with him for the Utapau mission and probably had no idea if he landed into a mess. He did not like the Council's decision to make Anakin remain behind because he had a feeling that something was really wrong. He had not liked how close Anakin and Palpatine had become. He was not entirely blind to see that Palpatine had replaced him to be Anakin's closest confidant. He did not like Palpatine _worming_ his way into Anakin's trust, sometimes causing Obi-Wan and Anakin to fight over petty things that did not really matter. There was something about the Chancellor that seemed rather _disturbing_.

Forcing the thoughts of Anakin out of his mind for a later time when he was not stuck in a predicament, he concentrated on how he ended up in the situation and what he was going to do about it. Details of how he was brought here were rather hazy. His brain was still quite muzzled up. He had to admit that he really had no idea _why _he was here or _how_ he got here and therefore had no inkling on _what_ he had to do.

The door to the room slid open with a hiss and he immediately tensed up in case of any sudden attacks. He relaxed, however, when he realized he was looking into the face of Anakin Skywalker who seemed so utterly relieved to see him that he wondered momentarily if he had somehow escaped death again.

"_Obi-Wan_," Anakin sighed in relief, rushing forward. "Are you all right?"

Obi-Wan looked questioningly at the concern on Anakin's face and in his voice. Anakin looked pale and sickly. He looked as if he never had enough sleep or was under an immense load of stress but was utterly more concern for Obi-Wan's well-being.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan answered, looking confused when Anakin reached out a hand to touch a bump on his head gently, "although I've definitely felt _better_. I've a headache and I have no idea how I got here."

"As long as you're fine, I'm happy," said Anakin who pulled Obi-Wan close to him and rested his head between Obi-Wan neck and shoulder. "I was so _worried_…"

Obi-Wan was alarmed by the sudden show of affection although he did not pull away. He simply let Anakin bury his head there, brushing his lips lightly on the exposed skin between Obi-Wan's neck and shoulder. Anakin pulled him closer when Obi-Wan did not push him away, holding him tightly.

Now Obi-Wan was worried. Anakin was shaking slightly as he gripped him so tightly as if he feared that Obi-Wan would disappear if he let go. He reached up a hand to run his fingers through Anakin's hair in a comforting way.

Anakin pulled back slightly and Obi-Wan realized that there were tears in Anakin's eyes and an unusual amount of fear. Before Obi-Wan could ask what was wrong, Anakin raised a hand to trace Obi-Wan's lips gently and Obi-Wan fell silent. Anakin's touch was light and experimental and Obi-Wan suddenly realized the intimacy of the moment.

Someone cleared his or her throat and Obi-Wan looked up to see Palpatine standing at the doorway, looking worse for wear. He was startled to the Chancellor looking quite horrid and even more when he realized that he had witnessed whatever that happened between Anakin and him – _whatever_ it was.

"Chancellor, I…"

Whatever Obi-Wan wanted to say simply died on his lips. Anakin, however, tensed slightly causing Obi-Wan to look worriedly at him.

"I am _relieved_ to see you well, General Kenobi," said Palpatine in a voice that had no form of concern.

"I thank you for delivering him back safely, sir," said Anakin stiffly if not coldly.

"I have kept my end of the bargain," said Palpatine pointedly. "Now, it is up to you."

"I _will_ succeed."

"I hope that you would for _Kenobi's_ sake."

Obi-Wan felt rather lost in the conversation and was feeling rather uncomfortable to be in the Chancellor's presence. He tried standing up but inevitably failed when he became too dizzy. Anakin caught him before he collapsed to the ground, looking worriedly at his condition.

"I…ah…_thank you_ for your hospitality, Chancellor," said Obi-Wan as pleasantly as he could. "However, I believe I would have to report to the Jedi Council as soon as possible on recent matters."

Palpatine looked at him with a haughty smile on his face.

"I do not think that would be necessary," he spoke sharply.

He turned to Anakin who seemed to be struggling to withhold his anger.

"I believe _Skywalker_ would update you on the recent happenings," he said before turning around. "And I expect _both_ of you to be there for dinner."

The door slid close after Palpatine and Obi-Wan turned to his former Padawan, who was gritting his teeth angrily, more confused than before.

"Anakin, what's –"

Anakin, however, stood up and walked over to the tall windows giving a beautiful view over the city, contemplating in silence.

"Anakin, exactly _what_ happened? Why is the Chancellor –" Obi-Wan began exasperatedly.

"He's no longer the Chancellor," Anakin interrupted shortly.

Obi-Wan was bewildered.

"What do you mean? Was he voted off?" asked Obi-Wan, puzzled.

Anakin turned around and Obi-Wan saw the dark look on Anakin's face. He looked really tired as if he was going to collapse from exhaustion at any second.

"No…the Republic's changed…"

"Anakin, don't leave me in the dark. I need to know what happened while I was gone," said Obi-Wan seriously.

Anakin chuckled darkly, shaking his head as he looked out of the window.

"A lot of things happened while you were gone, Obi-Wan – a _whole_ lot."

"How much can there be? I wasn't gone for that long."

"You'll be surprised, Obi-Wan."

"Anakin, I never took you to be a person who loved riddles so would you please stop acting like Master Yoda?"

Anakin did not even crack a smile. He turned to face Obi-Wan, a serious expression on his face.

"Obi-Wan, promise me one thing," he said softly.

"Anakin –"

"Obi-Wan, _promise_ me that you won't hate me that much!"

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin in bewilderment. Anakin seemed agitated as if scared Obi-Wan would not agree. He could never hate Anakin-it was just not in his being. Anakin would be the last person he would hate.

"Of course, Anakin, I could never hate you," he answered truthfully.

Anakin sighed and let his shoulders sag.

"Palpatine's a Sith Lord," he said in a monotonous voice.

Obi-Wan felt like choking. He had not been expecting that – no one had been expecting that. To think that the Republic had been in the hands of such a monster was simply…_unthinkable_.

"But – how – we have to tell the Council!" he finally managed to say when he regained his voice.

"There isn't any Council, not anymore," Anakin said dully.

Obi-Wan was stunned. Of all the things, that was more unbelievable. He _wanted_ to collapse. He _wanted_ Anakin to smile then finally say that it was all a joke. He _wanted_ to wake up and realize that it had been a dream cooked up after falling into some hellish hole on Hoth. But Anakin did not do any of that and Obi-Wan realized it was not a dream.

"You have to listen to me," said Anakin seriously with a severity in his voice Obi-Wan had never heard before. "A lot of things happened while you were gone."

'_A hell lot_,' thought Obi-Wan.

"Palpatine's a Sith Lord," Anakin repeated.

"How do you know that?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly.

"He told me."

"He _told you_ that he was a Sith Lord?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Anakin answered impatiently.

Obi-Wan fell silent, trying to process everything while not losing his breath at the same time.

"He choreographed the entire war," Anakin continued.

Obi-Wan felt shocked and realized he was starting to shake uncontrollably. The entire war had been a plot – it had been nothing more than a plot. _Hundreds_ – if not _thousands_ – of lives had been lost. Obi-Wan could feel the anger prick inside him.

"It was meant to be nothing more than a way to weaken the Jedi."

Obi-Wan could feel his blood turning to ice at a temperature close to absolute zero. Now, as Anakin told him this, he could feel everything becoming clear – he realized that everything was starting to make _sense_.

The cloud over the Force had been Palpatine's and to think that Anakin and he had gone through hell to save him. He realized that most probably Palpatine himself had arranged the entire kidnapping episode. There was also a nagging voice in his mind that Palpatine might have succeeded because from the beginning of the war there had not been enough Jedi around. By spreading the Jedi – _thinning_ them all around the universe – it made them _weaker_, more _defenseless_. Obi-Wan realized the true horror of the situation and how they had failed to realize it.

"Sidious gave an order a few days ago for Order Sixty-Six to be executed."

Obi-Wan felt as if a hole just appeared beneath him and he was falling faster and faster.

"Order Sixty-Six…_the order_ is to eliminate all Jedi…"

Obi-Wan felt that at that moment it was appropriate for him to die. He closed his eyes, trying to reach out through the Force for the presence of the hundreds of Jedi in the universe in an attempt to prove Anakin wrong. There was nothing. Everything was dark – too dim. He realized as he had to force his lungs to take in air, that most if not all of the Jedi were dead.

"…all Jedi are considered traitors to the Republic and all those who ally with them…"

The entire situation was twisted out of shape until the truth became lies and lies could somehow become truths.

"…Palpatine announced that the Republic would be turned into an Empire…"

Obi-Wan felt sick – felt so undeniably useless that he could not have foreseen the events that had led to the change. A Republic changed into an _Empire_? It was the end of democracy – it was the end of _free choice_.

"…many of the Senators have voted for him. He will announce himself Emperor in a few days…"

Couldn't the politicians get at least _one_ thing _right_? Obi-Wan felt like cursing. Didn't they know they were giving up their _free will_?

"Wait," interrupted Obi-Wan, frowning. "If the order was to eliminate _all_ Jedi…why are we still alive?"

Anakin looked nervous and rather uncomfortable. He slumped down beside Obi-Wan, sighing.

"We are the only two Jedi free from the treason charges," he explained slowly. "Palpatine…Palpatine…"

"Anakin, I doubt he would free us from treason charges because he likes us – you, maybe, me? Definitely not."

"Palpatine asked me to become his apprentice," Anakin said quickly.

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin for a moment hoping that it was all a joke. When it became apparent that it was not a joke, he let the full meaning of the words sink in.

"_WHAT?_"

"Palpatine asked me to become his apprentice in exchange for saving Padmé's life and to spare yours from Order Sixty-Six," Anakin continued, avoiding Obi-Wan's face.

Obi-Wan could _feel_ it coming. He knew with that sickly sense of foreboding that Anakin…Anakin accepted the offer. Anakin had been a person too consumed by his own emotions. He was far too sentimental – too _attached_ to certain things and people but a _Sith_?

"I accepted," Anakin said, answering the unasked question.

Obi-Wan could not really believe him. He could barely understand how surreal the situation had become. _Hundreds_ of mistakes, _ignorance_ of what had been right in _front_ of his eyes, Palpatine seeking _Anakin's trust_…everything came up to the inevitable.

"Anakin, have you realized what have you _done_?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"Yes, I know what I have done. I've…I've killed people…"

"Anakin…"

Obi-Wan was speechless to find that the man he trusted the most-the person _closest_ to his heart was the person he had been trained to kill. It was like waking up into a nightmare and everything was just plain bad.

'Anakin couldn't be…no…he _can't_…'

Obi-Wan felt as if he was floating in space with no particular direction where to go – no destination. He had no idea what to do – what to _believe_. Everything was so messed up – so bloody _impossible _to believe.

"Have you seen the state of the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan?" asked Anakin softly, still not looking at him. "It's in ruins, Obi-Wan. All the younglings and all the Padawans are dead."

"No…no…that's not possible..." Obi-Wan choked on tears threatening to fall.

He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that he would simply die at that moment. He did not want to hear it from Anakin's lips. He did not want to imagine all the things Anakin might have done – all the lives Anakin might have _destroyed_.

"It is possible – anything's possible. I lead the clone troopers to storm the temple. The first one – the Gate Master – died by my hand. Then one Jedi fell after another. It was so _easy_, Obi-Wan…"

"We _promised_ their families…we _promised_ their parents that they were going to be safe…"

"I killed dozens of younglings. You should have seen the fear on their faces. Cin Drallig and Shaak Ti did not even put up much of a fight…"

Obi-Wan realized that Anakin was talking about the Jedi – the family he had grew up with – being literally destroyed by Anakin's hands. He was more than horrified. He could not believe that he was sitting here with his best friend who was telling him quite calmly about all the murders he had committed.

"Sidious is going to tear down the Jedi Temple so that not even a trace of the Jedi would be left."

"How could you, Anakin?"

Anakin watched Obi-Wan with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Anakin, _how could you_?" Obi-Wan screamed, wanting nothing more than to reach over and strangle the man he loved dearly and try to convince himself that he was an imposter that Anakin was not a Sith and that he was still alive.

"I could because I did," answered Anakin. "My new name is Darth Vader."

_Vader._

_Vader._

_Vader._

_Vader…_

The name imprinted itself into Obi-Wan's memory forever. The man seating beside him was Vader, Lord of the Sith. He did not think he would ever forget.

He looked wildly around for his lightsaber to simply strike down the monster right in front of him before any feeling of remorse, of hesitation – of _guilt_ could drown him.

"Your lightsaber has been taken away, Obi-Wan," said Anakin quietly. "Sidious took it to prevent you from using it."

"I _trusted_ you, Anakin…"

"I know."

"The _Jedi_ trusted you…"

"They were wrong to do so."

"I don't understand…"

"I hoped that you would, Obi-Wan," said Anakin, turning to face him with tears in his eyes. "I really hoped that you would."

"_Why?_"

Obi-Wan felt the pain of betrayal worming his way from his heart. The pain blinded his mind so much so that he couldn't _think_ properly.

"I wanted to save Padmé, Obi-Wan, and the Jedi wouldn't help – wouldn't _understand_. I wanted to go to you for help but you were so busy with your work and the Council that I couldn't."

Obi-Wan did not know if he should feel hurt that Anakin thought so lowly of him. Maybe he had not reassured Anakin enough that he could come to him with his problems. Maybe the whole thing was his entire fault.

"Then Palpatine gave me a solution. He said that the Force could help save Padmé from death. She was _dying_, Obi-Wan, and I couldn't do anything to help her."

"No one can save everybody," Obi-Wan said dully, knowing that he had repeated that over a hundred times.

"Don't tell me that!" shouted Anakin angrily, grabbing the front of Obi-Wan's shirt. "I will save Padmé as I will save you! I'll make sure she will live! I'll make sure you will live!"

"For _what_, Anakin? For your own selfish needs? Why would anyone want to live in the universe you and Sidious created?" challenged Obi-Wan, anger filling his veins.

"Because…because…"

"Because of _what_?"

"Because I can't survive without the both of you – Anakin Skywalker _can't_. It is Anakin Skywalker who loves Padmé and you – not Vader."

Anakin touched Obi-Wan's face with such gentleness that the anger in his evaporated. He reached up his hand hesitantly to wipe away the tears falling on Anakin's cheeks.

"If Padmé and you die, Anakin won't exist anymore. Vader will win and he _can't_ be allowed to win," Anakin said softly. "I need you to stay alive for Anakin. I need to find a way to save Padmé for Anakin."

It seemed rather bizarre to Obi-Wan that Anakin was talking about himself as a separate person. He could feel the truth in Anakin's words. He understood the severity of the situation. He knew that allowing Vader to take over would mean that the entire thing was lost. As long as a bit of Anakin remained there was still hope.

"Padmé has been transported to a safe place but you…you're not safe yet."

Obi-Wan waited patiently as Anakin pressed his own forehead against his, sighing quietly at the comfort of the touch. Obi-Wan could taste the saltiness of Anakin's own tears. He did not pull away when Anakin pressed his lips gently against Obi-Wan's – not like a kiss but rather a soothing touch. Obi-Wan closed his eyes when neither of them moved to deepen it.

"The only way you can stay alive is if you join the Sith," Anakin murmured and Obi-Wan felt rather than heard the words.

Obi-Wan tried not to care about those words – about how despairing the situation had become.

Instead, he let Anakin wrap his arms around his waist and pull him closer. Instead, he let Anakin trace his lips over his neck, sending tingling sensations through his body. Instead, he let Anakin's soothing touch make him forget.


	4. Chapter 3

**TRAITORS**

A/N: I would like to thank all those who commented on this story so far and apologize for my late updates. I suffered from writer's block for the past few weeks and have recently only overcome it. Coupled by my new term in a new college…well…you get the picture. For now, enjoy chapter three.

**Chapter Three**

"_At the head of our army shall be our illustrious war heroes – Skywalker and Kenobi. They, who have stood by the Republic even when their brothers and sisters sought to destroy democracy, shall lead the army to purge our oppressors until **every** village – **every** city – shall be burnt to the ground! They do so to preserve **peace**! They do so to deliver **justice**! They do so for the future of our **children**!"_

When Padmé Amidala opened her eyes, she could hardly believe where she was. The room she was in was small and cramped with dull, grey walls that reflected the somberness of the situation. It was a while before she realized the room resembled a prison cell more than an actual, _hospitable_ guest room.

Of course, she had not been expecting to be treated like a guest – hardly thought that she would be, under the current conditions – but a little hospitality would have been _nice_. She raised her hand to touch a throbbing bruise on the side of her head gingerly before rubbing her hand over her swollen stomach. She feared that the child she was carrying might be hurt, or even worse – dead. A hard impact with the floor could result in a miscarriage and the clone troopers were not exactly gentle with her.

Sitting up on the bare bed she had been lying on, she waited a while for the headache to cease, feeling the beginning signs of worry and panic creep inside her. When her vision ceased to swim in front of her like a whirlpool, she realized she was literally trapped in a box. There were no windows or even any indication of a door. The walls were so smooth that nothing stuck to them. There was not even a single scratch.

'What, in the name of the Republic, is happening?' she thought, wincing slightly at the throbbing that refused to leave. 'I hope this is just a nightmare. I can't believe that Palpatine changed the Republic into an Empire and that Anakin…._if_ Anakin supported him...'

She wondered how all of this could have happened in such a short space of time. It seemed ridiculous and impossible that the Republic could have died in a single day and all the Jedi be destroyed. Maybe she was hallucinating…maybe she had mistaken something…

But she knew she had not, just as she knew the gut feeling she had about the danger she was in. She could not be sure what Palpatine would do with her, or why she was in this blasted room, but she knew one thing:

Anakin had ordered clone troopers to bring her here – wherever _here_ was.

And that was a matter to speculate upon and to scrutinize. There was little or no doubt that Anakin was working with Palpatine. Padmé felt a sense of horror at that thought. She had never liked Anakin's friendship with Palpatine, knowing well how manipulative Palpatine could be on certain occasions. She could not shake off the feeling that Palpatine might have tricked him into siding with him.

She closed her eyes at the memory of how Anakin's face had looked after his nightmare. She had watched numbly as Anakin related how, in his dream, she had died in childbirth. She had seen the despair and desperation on his face. She knew that Anakin would do anything for her to survive, and all her assurances that she would not die fell on deaf ears.

Padmé had a feeling that it was Palpatine's plot all along. Palpatine had been worming his way into Anakin's trust, and Anakin had trusted him – perhaps even more than he trusted her. Padmé had a sickening feeling in her stomach at the thought of what Anakin might be doing right now, for some dream he harbored that he was saving her.

She did not feel well, and feared that there might have been some truth to Anakin's words. But she feared what Anakin would do to save her much more. To imagine that he might be slaughtering innocents, just to save one life, simply horrified her.

There was a snap, then a hiss. She opened her eyes, startled and apprehensive at having a visitor. A door seemingly appeared out of no where, and a tall and rather severe woman stepped into the room. Just the sight of the woman, who was dressed in a crisp white uniform, bothered her. Her mood darkened further at the sight of three armed clone troopers standing guard at the door.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "Where am I? I demand an explanation! I am a Senator of the Republic –"

"There will hardly be a Republic left when Palpatine is finished with it," interrupted the woman, sneering at her. She opened the briefcase she had been carrying. "Senator or not, you are under arrest for treason against Palpatine."

"I…" Padmé was at a loss for what to say.

"Wordless, _Senator_?" asked the woman mockingly. "Never in my lifetime have I heard of a speechless Senator, although many have ceased to speak since Palpatine put them to death."

'_Death?_' Padmé was finally able to grasp the severity of the situation.

"But you," the woman said pointedly, as she removed what seemed to be a bottle full of clear liquid, "But, _you_…Palpatine has allowed you to live for the time being, and although you may be _pretty,_ I hardly believe that will count when you are found guilty."

"I am _never_ guilty for protecting the Republic!" Padmé replied angrily. "I am safeguarding the free will of the people! It is Palpatine who has breached his limits! He will be arrested and he will –"

"Strong words for a prisoner." The woman filled a syringe with the clear liquid, as Padmé watched her warily. "I heard that the Senate _cheered_ on for Palpatine's rise to Emperor. And thus, it is you who would be the traitor."

"Nobody can amend laws that have been laid down since the beginning of the Republic! There are laws against such a movement to an Empire –"

The woman sighed.

"So much faith in such a corrupted system," she said, almost regretfully. "Haven't you heard? By tomorrow, the Senate will be granting Palpatine full power."

Padmé stared at the woman in shock.

"Not so confident now, are you?" she asked, gleefully enjoying the predicament Padmé was in. "There will be no more Senate and even if there was, those useless, so-called _Senators_ – I'm sorry, people like you – won't be able to do anything. Nobody will so much as cough without authorization."

"No more talking," said one of the clone troopers gruffly. "Get this over with."

"Might I remind you that _I_ was personally chosen by Palpatine to do this?" the woman snapped sharply before sighing. "I must cut this little conversation short, pretty _Senator_. Palpatine is hardly a patient man."

The woman advanced towards Padmé who immediately retreated as far away as possible, until the wall of the room came into contact with her back.

"What are you doing? Stop it! I'll not _allow_ you –"

"Hold her down; she is a difficult one," the woman ordered.

Immediately, two of the clone troopers rushed forward to hold Padmé down by the arms. Padmé screamed and struggled against their grip, and away from the needle.

'_Anakin_…Anakin, help, _please_…Anakin…_Obi-Wan_…' she begged silently.

Somehow, she managed to kick against one of the clone troopers who fell back, winded. With one arm free, she turned her attention to the other clone trooper struggling to push her down. She raised her arm to strike him.

Only to find it being held down by the woman, who looked at her with a malicious expression on her face. She screamed and thrashed, but the woman's grip was impossible to break.

"Hush now, Senator. We wouldn't want to break that pretty face now, would we? It's not going to hurt; actually I don't know…I've never tried it before…"

"_Stop_ it, no! Please…_please_…"

The woman plunged the needle into Padmé's arm.

"Hold her down!" the woman ordered as Padmé's arm jerked involuntarily.

Padmé wanted to scream, but a coldness spread all through her body, freezing her jaw. It felt like icy fire burning in her veins that made every muscle in her body cease to work. Even her heart began to _slow _down.

The woman instantly set to work, plunging another needle into Padmé's arm, and the pain was multiplied so much that Padmé felt as if her brain was on fire. Yet she could not scream, or so much as move a muscle.

The woman withdrew the syringe, now full of blood, placing a single drop on the pad she was carrying to analyze for any possible illnesses or diseases.

The screen flashed red immediately, and she smiled deviously.

"My, my, _my_…who would have thought?"

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"Not another Jedi, there is," Yoda said, hobbling along the corridor of _Tantive IV_ with Bail Organa, who looked worse for wear as if he hadn't had so much as a wink of sleep.

"No one else has responded to the signal," said Organa, weary and disappointed.

He had been hoping to find a few more survivors of the slaughter, but it was becoming more and more apparent that the enormous numbers of Jedi had been killed by surprise. Reports came from all over the galaxy about the clone troopers who turned against their Jedi commanders and generals, and killing the Jedi "traitors". It was, frankly, getting more and more probable that Yoda might be the only Jedi still alive. The mere thought made him sink slowly into despair.

He had great faith in the wizened Jedi Master's skills and wisdom but how could one Jedi stand against an entire clone army plus two, _possibly_, ex-Jedi? Skywalker had amazing power, and Kenobi was one of the smartest and most powerful Jedi in the Order. They were an unbreakable team, so strong that sometimes they had been the only thing holding back the Republic's fall during the Clone Wars. People around the universe sometimes said that they were even better than all the rest of the Jedi put together. He bitterly thought that they might conceivably have aided in the fall of the Republic.

He looked down at the Jedi Master, who looked incredibly tired. Bail had heard of some form of empathic link that Jedi had with one another, and he could not possibly imagine the pain Yoda might have experienced through that link, from the slaughter of nearly all the Jedi.

"Hope we must have," said the Jedi Master as if he had been reading Bail's thoughts. "Other Jedi, there might be."

"Yoda, you must know that the Republic has greatly changed –"

Yoda nodded gravely, cutting Bail off.

"Sense the change, I do. Foresee this change, the Jedi could not." Yoda shook his head solemnly. "Actions we must undertake. Strike quickly we must. Anticipate this Sidious will not."

"But surely a more logical action plan would have a greater chance of success…" Bail trailed off in disbelief at the rash plan Yoda had made.

"A suggestion you have, Senator Organa?" inquired Yoda calmly.

"Not one – not at the moment – but I believe it is important to consider the possibility that Skywalker and Kenobi might be siding with Palpatine –"

"Mentioned this, you did not," said Yoda. "Alliance with Palpatine, Skywalker and Kenobi made?"

"Yes…there _have_ been rumors and reports," Bail began unsteadily. "Palpatine only excused Skywalker and Kenobi from the treason charges. I believe that they might have helped him or Palpatine has manipulated them…" _and I certainly prefer the latter_, Bail added silently.

"Foresee this development, I did not," Yoda said sadly. "Blinded by the dark side, I was. Clouded the Force has become. Skywalker's turn to the dark side, unfavorable it is."

Bail could certainly come up with worse words than to describe Skywalker's alleged alliance with Palpatine than "_unfavorable_", and all of them had a darker, more hopeless meaning.

"And Kenobi?" he asked.

"Believe that Kenobi has fallen to the dark side, I do not. Suspicious the circumstances have become. For his Padawan, Kenobi might turn. Loved him greatly, Kenobi did," contemplated Yoda.

Bail's eyes widened. "_You _mean tosay_…that_…"

"Married Skywalker is to Senator Amidala," said Yoda rather sharply.

Bail stood still in shock. Padmé had never mentioned that rather _important_ detail, during the entire time they had known each other. No wonder she had looked so worried when Skywalker's name had been mentioned - and to think that all this time he had only suspected they were _friends_…

"But, _why_ then, did you…" he trailed off, unsure of what he had been trying to say.

Yoda sighed.

"Great love is there between them," Yoda said, answering Bail's unanswered question. "Notice this many Jedi did. Unnoticed, this went by Kenobi and Skywalker."

"So, what do we do now? We have nothing that would allow us to fight against the Empire and win," Bail said, pointing out their current lack of resources. "And heading against the Empire rashly will have little chance of success, or even _survival_."

"Lack of faith in the Force, you have. Remind me of a youngling, you do," said Yoda, and Bail was surprised to see a wistful echo of a smile cross the wizened face. "Difficult the situation has become. Act decisively we must."

The smile was replaced by a grim expression. Bail did not know whether to be relieved or worried that Yoda had finally understood the hopelessness of the situation.

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It became increasingly apparent that Palpatine, or _Sidious,_ would not accept no for an answer. One of Palpatine's servants had intruded into what was officially Obi-Wan's room until further notice, and stumbled upon Anakin and Obi-Wan wrapped in a tight, intimate embrace. Anakin had wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan and tried to comfort the Jedi Master when Obi-Wan had broken down and cried about how utterly useless he was in the situation.

The servant had come with a change of clothes for Obi-Wan and an _order_ – not an invitation – for them to join Palpatine for dinner.

Anakin had taken one look at Obi-Wan's tear-stricken face and expressively told the servant to tell Palpatine that neither of them would be attending dinner because Obi-Wan was not well.

The servant had returned looking pale and rather scared, and told Anakin that Palpatine demanded that they attend dinner, and that if they did not, Obi-Wan would be made a prisoner immediately.

Anakin had risen almost menacingly as he heard the words. He was furious at the threat Palpatine made, and wanted to take it out on the servant.

"No, Anakin, don't," Obi-Wan pleaded softly and Anakin's anger dissolved. "Please, Anakin, we can't risk avoiding Palpatine anymore. We'll just go to dinner. We don't know what he might do."

"You don't understand. When he says 'dinner', there is nothing simple about it," Anakin tried to reason with him. "You don't look well, Obi-Wan and I'll just tell Sidious that if he doesn't allow you to rest, I'll call off the deal."

"And then what? From what you told me, he holds Padmé's life in his hands, just as he holds mine and yours. Calling off the deal will simply get all of us killed - what would that achieve?"

"I…I…_I_ _don't know_," admitted Anakin after a moment. "It's just that everything has been pretty crazy, until I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You're Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan stated firmly with a certainty that exceeded Anakin's ability to believe in his words.

"No, I'm _Darth Vader_ – I'm a murderer – I killed –"

"No, I know you're still Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader would have killed me on sight. Darth Vader would not have bothered saving my life. Darth Vader would –"

"It doesn't matter! I've _taken_ innocent lives! I killed even the younglings who _depended_ on me –"

"We all make mistakes, even me," Obi-Wan interrupted gently. "But that does not mean we have to keep repeating them."

"You don't understand, Obi-Wan. When you accept Palpatine's choice, there is simply _no choice_. You'll be forced to kill one person after another after another after another…"

"There is always a choice."

"In this case, there never has been," Anakin retorted. He sighed. "Are you still insisting on going to the dinner?"

"As you have pointed out, Anakin, there never has been a choice," said Obi-Wan.

Anakin turned to the servant, still holding the clothes Obi-Wan was supposed to wear.

"Tell Palpatine that we will attend the dinner shortly," Anakin said almost gloomily.

"Yes, my lord; and he has requested Obi-Wan to show up wearing these clothes," he said, referring to pile of black clothes in his arms, "and to discard every article of Jedi clothing."

Anakin could feel Obi-Wan stiffen beside, him then relax.

"Very well," Obi-Wan answered evenly.

The servant placed the clothes on a table before exiting the room, the door closing behind him.

"I'm sorry," Anakin said softly, as Obi-Wan began to shed the tunic he wore.

"What, may I ask, is the reason for your apology?" Obi-Wan asked quizzically, as he unfolded the clothes presented to him – black, with a few embroideries in red and gold.

Anakin looked at him in disbelief.

"I dragged you into this, Obi-Wan!" he half-yelled at the unfazed Jedi Master. "I made you come here! I endangered your life! I could have simply told you to run away and hide!"

"I do not like to run away and hide if I know I could do something, and I know that my need to be here with you is greater than my need to be in some cave meditating."

"Obi-Wan, you _don't_ understand –" Anakin began exasperatedly.

"I do understand, Anakin, far better than you, perhaps," Obi-Wan amended patiently, as he began to dress. "We're friends – brothers – I can't simply abandon you."

Anakin stood up and walked over to Obi-Wan, more than ever grateful to have known Obi-Wan. He tilted Obi-Wan's face up, his human hand brushing against the man's beard, and looked into Obi-Wan's ever-changing eyes.

"Thank you, for all you have done," Anakin said sincerely, with an honesty he doubted he had ever shown before. "I appreciate your trust in me."

"I have always believed in you, Anakin. It was unquestionable," Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly.

Anakin hesitated for a moment then bent down to kiss Obi-Wan fully on the lips. He felt Obi-Wan's surprise flickering in the Force but when Obi-Wan did not make a move to push him away, he traced the soft lips gently with his own. Obi-Wan's lips were so surprisingly soft and his beard tickled Anakin's chin. Anakin suddenly felt something unfamiliar flickering in the Force but it was quickly dampened.

He gently pulled away, seeing Obi-Wan's curious and questioning look. However, Obi-Wan did not press with question, for which Anakin was grateful, because he was not too sure of _what_ he had done, or _why,_ except for a feeling that he _had_ to do it. Most Jedi had considered them too close for a Master-Padawan pair, but it was the first time that Anakin had really wanted to do something like kiss his former Master. They had hugged, and shared a bed but never had they intentionally kissed the other.

"We have to go, Anakin. I do not think that Palpatine would be so kind if we were to arrive late," Obi-Wan said rather quietly, moving towards the door.

Anakin silently followed.

"I hope you enjoy this dinner, _General_ Kenobi," Darth Sidious said rather unpleasantly from the head of the table. "The Corellian wine is the finest in the galaxy – or so I'm told."

To be honest, Obi-Wan had barely touched the food that lay on his plate, appetizing as it seemed to be. It did not look like it had been poisoned, as they all had shared food from the same plate. However, his appetite had dwindled to nothing, the moment he had seen the Sith Lord. Truth be told, he had a seed of fear inside him, because never could he imagine – during his entire lifetime and beyond – that he would _ever_ be found sitting with two Sith Lords eating dinner, and one of them just happening to be his _best friend_.

It was a strange situation, and rather surreal. He had rather imagined that if he ever had the chance to meet another Sith Lord, they would probably fight, and he would try his best to slay him. Now, as he turned to look at Anakin who had greater success in eating – having finished a tenth of the meat on his plate – he knew he could not possibly do that. Just thinking of killing Anakin broke his heart. He would rather die.

He stabbed the meat he was supposed to be eating, and watched the juices seep out. What was he _thinking_? He was a _Jedi_. If he was not a Jedi, he was nothing. He had to abide by the Code, whether or not the Jedi Order existed anymore – whether or not he might survive a direct confrontation with Sidious. He could not just sit here and pretend to enjoy dinner with a Sith Lord, who had never taken his eyes off him since the moment he entered. He had to do it even if he died.

And he felt fear –an emotion he had not felt for years. It came from the undoubted, unquestionable knowledge that death would one day – delayed or not – become inevitable. It was this lingering, nagging voice of reason saying that everybody must die; that Padmé, even if Anakin managed to save her from death now, would die someday, and Obi-Wan would as well. It was this unshakeable fear that Anakin's transformation was unavoidable. He felt fear that despite anything he _did_ or _could_ have done or _will_ do, it would never be enough, and that Anakin would still fall.

He closed his eyes, trying to control his hands from shaking in fear and anger – fear for Anakin, and anger at Palpatine for causing this to happen. He tried to push the emotions away, because it was not in his character to be fearful or angry at something, but they refused to go away, or something was preventing it. He opened his eyes to see Palpatine giving him a smile that did not reach his eyes, and his stomach clenched. He knew…somehow Palpatine knew, and he was using it against him. He could feel a flicker of worry from Anakin in the Force, although Anakin's face was blank and unmoving, and sent a simple wave of reassurance towards his former Padawan, hoping that Sidious might overlook that.

"Perhaps we should move on to the real reason we're having dinner," Palpatine suggested casually while delicately and surgically cutting his meat.

Obi-Wan felt his mouth turn dry, and his worry rising, at how his fear simply would not let him go. It was not normal. He had to let it go. He had to be able to think and act rationally. He had to figure out what the heck he was going to be doing in the next five seconds.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anakin stiffen involuntarily, his fork frozen in mid-motion. He watched as his former Padawan grew several shades paler, and he had a suspicious feeling that Anakin knew more about what was going to happen during this dinner than he was letting on.

"Now, I'm quite sure that Skywalker has informed you that the Jedi Order is no longer in existence," Palpatine began, swirling the contents of his glass around. It looked a lot like blood.

Obi-Wan resisted lashing out at Palpatine and shouting at him that the Order was only dead because of him. Just hearing Palpatine speak about the destruction of the Jedi Order so coolly, as if he was speaking about tomorrow's weather, made him want to strangle the man if he could not kill him with his lightsaber. What in the name of the Tatooine suns was happening to him? Obi-Wan fought against his rising anger.

"Although I was perfectly happy to have Skywalker as my only apprentice," continued Palpatine and Obi-Wan's anger rose another notch, forcing him to grip the side of his chair to restrain himself, "he seemed to believe that getting you to join the Sith would be beneficial to us. Of course, his true intentions are worth _scrutinizing_…"

Obi-Wan saw Anakin blush slightly, although his eyes were fixed on the salad on the table. He was certain that Anakin was struggling not to use the Force to destroy the salad while putting all his concentration on it. It seemed rather contradictory. Obi-Wan moved his attention from Anakin to Palpatine who was still smiling in that knowing way, trying not to show that he was afraid, although he could not help but wish that Palpatine would just get to the point.

"He seems to harbor this belief that you could be turned," Sidious continued rather calmly, not shifting his gaze from Obi-Wan, "although I must say, I hardly thought it was possible. You have been taught by the Jedi since you were merely an infant. Such a background would make you _almost_ impossible to turn – almost, of course."

The certainty in Sidious' voice caused Obi-Wan's fear to rise, and he began to wonder how long he would survive before he would be killed. He forced his mind off of that thought, reminding himself that the only thing he should be thinking about was how to kill Sidious, or at least, how to aid another person to kill Sidious.

"And thus, I must ask you…"

Finally, Sidious managed to come to the point – the entire climax of an extremely long book – and Obi-Wan was beginning to shake visibly.

"…will you join me as an apprentice?" Sidious finished.

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"_Why_?" Obi-Wan asked without thinking although he had spent the last few minutes mentally preparing to deliver a straight answer – "no".

"Why, indeed? Why did I give in to my apprentice even though I held his wife's life in my hands?" Sidious smiled, agreeing to consider Obi-Wan's question.

Obi-Wan saw Anakin flinch slightly at the mention of Padmé.

"Do you, perhaps, know why General Kenobi?"

Sidious was playing with him – testing his reactions. Obi-Wan knew it. And what was worse, Sidious was winning. He forced himself to act calm, letting a civil expression mask the true worry on his face.

"Another Jedi would be able to aid you – perhaps, even gather more support from the public," Obi-Wan answered. "Two apprentices would help you control the universe much more effectively…"

"Yes, yes, yes," interrupted Sidious, waving his hand dismissively, "but what makes you so special? Why did I not take any other Jedi – someone with greater power, perhaps, and less loyal to the Jedi Order than you?"

Obi-Wan paused, hesitating for a brief second.

"It was convenient," he replied shortly.

"And how was it convenient, may I ask?" asked Sidious, as if he truly had no idea what Obi-Wan had just said, although there was a glint of confidence in the cold eyes.

"You knew where I was – _what_ I would do. You knew that among all the Jedi, Anakin would choose me and you knew that…" Obi-Wan trailed off, letting the words he wanted to say die from his lips.

'_You knew that I would do anything for him…that I'll only turn for him…_' Obi-Wan completed silently, feeling a true horror growing inside him at the mere thought that Sidious knew – that the evil, twisted Sith Lord knew all along.

"I am, of course, not interested in your petty, personal affairs," said Sidious, sending a heated flush to Anakin's cheeks, "or _what_ Skywalker does behind his wife's back…"

Obi-Wan fought a blush, recalling the kiss Anakin had given to him rather unexpectedly. At the mere mention of Padmé, however, he felt guilty for betraying her. She had been a good friend – no – she _is_ a good friend. She was not dead yet and when she did return, Obi-Wan would explain to her that he had no intention of ever taking Anakin from her – that he knew Anakin loved her a lot, and he respected that.

"Or what _both_ of you wish to do in your chambers," said Sidious, watching his two guests struggle not to simply burst out in anger. "What interests me is the potential of the pair: _Kenobi and Skywalker_."

Obi-Wan recalled the first moments when he'd heard that term being used all over the HoloNets, and then all over the universe. It became a household name used almost everywhere. It was the term that the Jedi used whenever they needed help – whenever they had a battle they absolutely, positively, definitely _needed_ to win. The Senators of the Republic (if it had not changed into an Empire yet) used it whenever public morale was low, reminding the public that there was still hope that the war would end with victory on their side. _Kenobi and Skywalker _– that very term made them become legends, chronicling their victories as the people would fantasy stories – making it seem believable that the impossible was never a limitation for them. He had laughed the first time he heard the term being used, and at Anakin's subsequent complaint about why his name had to be _last_. They had brushed it off, because it had been a petty matter that had not been important. What was important was that they were a team and that they knew tit. They did not need a title to tell it to them.

Looking back at all the missions and battles they had won, they seemed as if they were decades ago. There had been one battle after another battle after another battle – all to guard the Republic and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. They defended the Republic when it had been the weakest – sometimes, they'd been the only thing that stood between the Republic and complete destruction. It was all because they clung on to a hope – to a duty.

It was all a lie – a huge illusion that had blinded them.

While they had been busy fighting the war, that had stretched them impossibly thin across the universe, against what they had supposed to be the biggest threat, they had failed to notice the weakness plaguing the Republic from within. There had been signs. He had simply ignored them, too blinded to see that wrong, deluded decision the Senators made – the danger that posed by putting so much power into the hands of one person.

And he had been asking himself the same question, ever since he had heard Anakin's explanation:

_How could I be so blind?_

He brushed away the thought, knowing that brooding over past events was something best left until a later time.

"_Kenobi and Skywalker_…such potential…" Sidious mulled it over. "The illustrious war heroes, legends of the universe, where their very successes have become epic stories…the Jedi Order failed to see this. They failed to see the weapon they had, that could cause me to fail. Yes, I did not fear the old tree stump, Yoda, or the collected and cool Windu, or the skill of any of the other Jedi. Out of all of the Jedi, I feared both of you – _Kenobi and Skywalker_. Both of you had the power, to make all that I planned for so carefully, fail. However, I had hardly any need to worry. The Jedi Council aided me, by simply separating both of you. Even Dooku knew that it was you who would prevent Skywalker from joining me – that was, until he was murdered."

Anakin was shaking so hard that the salad bowl had begun vibrating dangerously. Sidious took no notice of Anakin's behavior.

"Perhaps you have never realized it, and I doubted that you would ever realize it," Sidious continued calmly, as Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, putting nearly all his concentration upon simply keeping his anger at bay. "Skywalker may be the most powerful Jedi – even, Force user – in this universe, but even he could have been destroyed easily by the collective power of the Jedi Order. But together, both of you could withstand the entire Jedi Order – even destroy them with a swipe of your lightsabers. Both of you – including the Jedi Council – have failed to realize that together, you stand as the most powerful pair in the universe. As Skywalker's power grows, your own powers grow too."

'_Bastard_,' Obi-Wan thought, surprised by his own ferocity, '_manipulative, uncivilized bastard._"

"And yet, you have not answered my question, General Kenobi. I am waiting for an answer," said Sidious in a tone that showed his impatience clearly.

"No," Obi-Wan answered simply, praying that Anakin would understand.

Anakin's face was almost white, and the salad bowl simply shattered, throwing its contents over the entire table. Sidious did not even give an indication that he noticed. The knife in Anakin's robotic hand had bent so far that it was near to being snapped into two. Anakin refused to look at Obi-Wan and simply bit his lower lip so hard it nearly bled.

"I was afraid of that," Sidious said, nodding as if approving of Obi-Wan's decision, "and I have taken pains to come up with a solution, should you do so. Perhaps, a little light dinner entertainment, General Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan felt a foreboding sense of horror before he even realized what Sidious had said. Sidious pressed a small button, and a holographic projection appeared to Obi-Wan's left. Vaguely he could hear Anakin's fork being snapped into two, his own utensils dropping like stones to the floor, and Sidious' evil chuckle. He could feel Anakin's shock and anger flooding the Force to match his own, and the feeling of Sidious' sadistic enjoyment.

Obi-Wan forgot how to breathe. He could do nothing but stare at the hologram with no idea of what to do or what to say. His mind was blank of any plan. He could not even tremble in horror at what he saw. He could simply sit and stare.

More than a dozen children – he recognized them as younglings from the Jedi Temple – were all chained to the walls and floor, stripped naked of their clothing. The oldest could not have been any more than eleven, and the youngest looked about four. All of them looked battered and beaten with welts and bruises all over their bodies. One of them had an angry, red wound that stretched all across his chest. Some of them seemed to be unconscious. Most of them looked scared. Only a few remained silent and defiant.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Sidious asked, obviously enjoying it. "They are so scared – so struck by fear that they don't seem like Jedi at all."

"_Bastard_…" Anakin hissed angrily, looking as if he was ready to kill Sidious.

"Vader, step out of line and all of these children will die," hissed Sidious dangerously.

Anakin forced himself to calm down, shaking with visible anger.

"All of them are in a containment cell, although one of them refused to come along quietly. The clone troopers had to put him to death – a remarkable spirit."

"They're _children_…" Obi-Wan said, as if the word would have any bearing on Sidious' conscience. "They deserve to _live_…"

"And that is where your decision becomes important," Sidious calmly said. "The longer you stall, the more children will die. Once I exhaust the supply, there are other _innocent_ people walking the streets I can arrest and put to death, for any charge at all. I have the power to make any arrest I want. Shall we start with the children first? They are my favorites."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes shaking so badly that he thought he was having a seizure. He wished he would. He wished that when he opened his eyes that this would all be a bloody nightmare, but when he did open his eyes, it was Sidious who was sitting there, obviously enjoying his predicament.

To join Sidious would mean to submit to his rule, and to forgo the Oath he swore to the Order. Once he submitted to Sidious, it would be the end, and he would know it. He would have to kill, and continue killing until he could not stop – until it became second nature. He remembered the words Anakin had told him before – there was simply _no_ choice. There were millions of children out there; all unaware that one man decided their fate. They expected to see the sun rise the next day, but Sidious could crush such simple hopes with a single order. He had crushed the Jedi Order with an ease that was embarrassing. Sidious could destroy families so effortlessly.

"The time is ticking away, General Kenobi. In every minute, one child _will_ die."

Obi-Wan watched as a clone trooper advanced to a young girl who started screaming and crying. The clone trooper carried a single blade – an actual, primitive blade made from metal – and knew with sickening dread that the death would not quick or merciless. She would bleed and be in pain before death finally took her.

"Hurry, General Kenobi, I do not believe she has long to live."

Other children started screaming and crying. One child tried to wrestle the chains, to kick the clone trooper away, but the chains were too tight and the clone trooper was too far. Her screams and cries came from the simple, primal instinct of fear. There were no words being cried out – just a sound that came from anybody knowing he or she was close to death.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…" Sidious counted off almost joyfully.

Her screams sent shivers down his spine. Obi-Wan felt the waves of desperation from Anakin mixing with his own indecision. He could not _think_. He could not find a way out. Everything was pressurizing him towards the inevitable.

"…six…five…four…"

"_Obi-Wan_! You have to –" shouted Anakin desperately.

Her screams pressed into his mind until it obliterated any thought he might have.

He vaguely saw the sickening smile on Sidious' face.

He had to face it: he had _no_ choice.

"…three…two…"

"Obi-Wan, _please_…"

"…one."

"NO! No – _don't_!" Obi-Wan screamed out, finally letting the anger, fear and desperation overtake him.

But, it was too _late_.

Her screams died in her throat, and Obi-Wan watched with horror as the blade descended, to tear through her easily. Her jugular vein simply exploded with blood, spraying onto her body, the wall, and the child beside her screaming with fear. Her head hung off her shoulders as she choked, trembling like a ragged doll. Blood flowed down her neck and dripped to the floor. There was so much _blood_…

"Ah, such a pity, you were a mere second too late," said Sidious, unfazed.

He looked as if he were talking about a sudden weather change that affected their picnic plans.

"You _bastard_…" Obi-Wan choked out. "You _absolutely_, repulsive creature…"

"Such anger is admirable," commented Sidious, obviously pleased by his reaction. "You possess such a wealth of anger – so _Sith_-like…"

Restraint was as far gone from Obi-Wan as it could be. It was as if the anger he had always wielded as a child finally surfaced, after so many years of being tucked away. He wanted to simply leap up – to strangle the man with his _bare hands_ – to simply end the existence of the absolutely _despicable_ creature. His anger called out to him, driving him on. His thirst for revenge had awakened.

"How many more will it take, General Kenobi?" asked Sidious, watching Obi-Wan's face twist with rage. "Another child, perhaps? Another _innocent _life taken to _persuade_ you to submit to me?"

His anger faltered and his fear increased at the sight of the clone trooper moving towards the child trembling beside the bleeding girl with such mechanical efficiency that he knew that no feeling of remorse would stop the clone trooper.

"Another life taken simply because you _couldn't_ make the choice – the only choice?" continued Sidious.

Guilt plagued him in all directions. Indecision cost him a life. Making the decision would cost the lives of millions of others.

_But at least, several million others will be saved. With Vader and Sidious in control of this universe, no one is safe from death. With you, there might be hope_, a voice in Obi-Wan's head spoke softly through the haze of remorse, anger and fear.

"Will you join me?" Sidious asked.

Obi-Wan struggled. Need and desperation won.

"Y-_Yes_, I'll join you…" he said, never quite believing that he would ever speak those words.

Before he knew it, he had collapsed to his knees in front of Darth Sidious, who towered over him with a sneering, victorious smile upon his face. He felt Anakin's guilt and numb shock through the Force. _How_ did it come to this?

Sidious looked at him expectantly and he knew it would be a one-way road. There was no turning back.

"I…I pledge my allegiance to the Si-Sith and the Dark Side," he managed to choke out. "I will discard my previous Oath that I swore to the Jedi Order and…_and _submit to your rule. I will obey your every order and follow the ways of the Sith…"

"And you shall be my apprentice, as will Vader, Darth _Cyrus_…"

_Kenobi and Skywalker…_

_Cyrus and Vader…_

And it was the beginning of a nightmare they could not have foreseen.

Back in Obi-Wan's new quarters, Anakin Skywalker lay, worried as he watched the trembling ex-Jedi Master. Darkness had taken over the sky on Coruscant, and the stars strewn in the sky were mere pinpricks of light. Light pollution from the heavily populated world of Coruscant made activities such as star gazing impossible. The city rested peacefully for the night, although Anakin could feel something happening as they rested.

Obi-Wan was curled up on the bed, crying softly, and Anakin was startled by how broken and torn Obi-Wan had become. It worried him greatly.

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin whispered softly, trying to make his partner look at him.

"What have I done, Anakin? _What have I done_?" Obi-Wan moaned, as he shook uncontrollably.

"Only what you thought was right," Anakin answered as he rolled Obi-Wan over to look at him. He looked worriedly at the tear-stricken, pale face of his best friend.

"I joined the Sith – that couldn't be right – that just _couldn't_ –"

"There was no choice," Anakin said, pulling his friend closer to him.

He was slightly surprised to find Obi-Wan clinging to him as if his life depended on it. The ex-Jedi Master pressed his face against the side of Anakin's neck, and Anakin simply ran his fingers through Obi-Wan's hair, as he let himself calm down. It felt strange to be lying here in bed and embracing his Jedi Master instead of Padmé. He felt the beginnings of guilt at the thought of his wife, but simply pushed it away, because Obi-Wan needed him urgently.

"The _children_ – I _had_ to – I _couldn't_ – there was no –" Obi-Wan mumbled chokingly.

"It's okay, Obi-Wan, it's okay," Anakin said reassuringly. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault."

Obi-Wan stopped trembling so much and simply pressed himself closer into Anakin's arms.

"It's okay, Obi-Wan. It's okay."

Anakin kissed Obi-Wan's forehead and simply let his lips brush against Obi-Wan's brow, murmuring words of comfort.

"It's going to be all right. Things are going to be just fine."

Anakin hoped for the best but he knew, even if Obi-Wan did not, that his words were empty.


End file.
